Shell with plastic explosive and hollow liner



April 21, 1964 J. o. EVANS, JR 3,129,665

SHELL WITH PLASTIC EXPLOSIVE AND HOLLOW LINER Filed Feb. 7, 1951INVENTOR F157. 3

JOHN C. EVANS JR.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,129,665 SI-ELL WITH PLASTIC EXPLOSIVEAND HOLLOW LINER John 0. Evans, 312, Washington, D.C. (3121 WestcliifRoad W., Fort Worth, Tex.) Filed Feb. 7, 1951, Ser. No. 299,770 4Claims. (U. 10256) This invention relates to projectiles, moreparticularly to shell for use against armor.

The invention utilizes in a single projectile two known principles,namely:

(a) The shaped charge effect, and (b) The plastic explosive or squashhead effect.

An object of the invention is to provide a shell having excellent armorpenetrating characteristics.

Another object is to provide a shaped charge projectile that carries anunusually large explosive charge.

Another object is to provide a shell of this character that isconstructed in a simple manner of relatively few and simple components.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention arerealized in an explosive shell comprising an elongated enclosed hollowcasing having a nose portion the walls of which are deformable uponimpact and a body portion having substantially stronger walls, enclosedhollow liner means supported within said casing and substantially spacedfrom the walls thereof, said liner means extending from a point withinthe body portion of said casing to a point within the nose portion ofsaid casing, an initiator in the body portion of said casing, anexplosive composition substantially filling the space between saidlinear means and the walls of said casing, at least a substantial partof the explosive composition in the nose portion of said casing beingplastic.

One form of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is an axial sectional view of a shell embodying the principles ofthe invention;

FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken along the plane of the line22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of one of the components of the shell of FIGS. 1and 2; and

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing the shell at a stage shortlyafter impact with a target.

Referring to the drawing, the illustrative shell has a body portion ofconventional form having relatively thick, strong side walls and a basefuze and booster device 11 that is also conventional.

An ogival nose portion 12 is screwed at 13 to the body 10. An annularrecess 14 is provided between a shoulder 15 of the nose portion and theforward end of the body and a ring 16 is removably seated in thisrecess. The ring has inwardly projecting legs 17 welded to the bottom orrearward part of the skirt of a bell-shaped liner 18 that extendsforwardly into the nose cavity of the shell.

A conical cup-shaped liner 19 is fitted into the bottom of the liner 18and tack-welded thereto along the line 20 of peripheral engagementtherebetween. This conical liner projects rearwardly into the bodycavity of the shell.

The assembly of liner 18 and 19 provides an envelope in which is acavity 21 that normally contains only air. These liners are preferablymade of metal such as steel or copper.

The body cavity of the shell is filled with a brisant high explosivecomposition 22 up to the liner 19 and spider ring legs 17. The nosecavity is filled with a plastic high explosive composition 23 forwardlyof the spider ring and the liner 18. The masses of explosive compositionin the nose and body cavities may be in physical contact with each otherthrough the openings between the legs 17 of the spider ring. The charge22 may be TNT and the charge 23 may be TNT plasticized with lubricatingoil, wax or the like.

The nose portion 12 of the shell preferably is formed of a soft, ductilemetal such as aluminum or magnesium or alloys thereof. The body portion10 may be a conventional steel forging.

Referring to FIG. 4, the projectile of FIGS. 1 to 3 is shown in contactwith a target 24 that may be an armor plate. In point of time, the shellhas struck the target and the fuze and booster have just been fired butthe explosive wave or shock wave has not yet progressed forwardlythrough the explosive material 22 to the apex of the cone liner 19. Thenose portion 12 has been flattened at the forward end against the targetand the liner 18 has been driven forwardly through the plastic explosivematerial 23 into contact with the nose portion 12. Some deformation ofthe front of the liner 18 has occurred. The plastic explosive isdeformed and expanded laterally to provide a mushroom shaped head. Aclear passage is provided by the cup 18 forwardly of the base of theconical liner 19 to the nose portion 12.

Now, let it be assumed that the shock wave progresses forwardly to thebase of the conical liner 19. The liner collapses inwardly extruding anarmor piercing jet that is projected forwardly through the spaceprovided by the cup 18 to penetrate the forward end of the cup, the noseportion 12 and the target 24.

The shock wave continues forwardly through the annular mushroom shapedmass of plastic explosive material 23, through the nose portion 12 andinto the target 24. The effect of this shock wave is to set updisruptive stresses in the target resulting in spalling of the metal atthe reverse side of the armor plate.

The fuze in the fuze and booster device 11 preferably is one of theinertia type that functions by action of set forward forces. It isadjusted to function shortly after impact of the projectile against thetarget at a time that will allow the explosive wave to reach the coneapex just after the liner 18 has been driven forward into contact withthe deformed nose piece 12.

From the foregoing description, other forms of the invention willreadily occur to those skilled in the ordnance art. The forwardlyprojecting liner 18 may be replaced by other means that will provide asubstantially unobstructed path through which the armor piercing jetproduced by the conical liner 19 may travel to the target through themass of plastic explosive. The liner 19 may have other appropriateforms. The explosive containing cavities of the shell may be entirelyfilled with plastic explosive instead of being partly filled with anon-plastic type.

Although the invention has been described with reference to a spinstabilized projectile, it is evident that it may be applied to finstabilized or other non-rotating projectiles.

I claim:

1. An explosive shell comprising an elongated enclosed hollow casinghaving a nose portion the walls of which are deformable upon impact anda body portion having substantially stronger walls, enclosed hollowliner means supported within said casing and substantially spaced fromthe walls thereof, said liner means extending from a point within thebody portion of said casing to a point within the nose portion of saidcasing, explosive composition substantially filling the space betweensaid liner means and the walls of said casing, at least a substantialpart of the explosive composition in the nose portion of said casingbeing plastic, and means for initiating detonation of said explosivecomposition solely at the base thereof.

2. An explosive shell comprising a shell body having a cavity therein, afirst liner at the front end of said body cavity and spaced from thewalls of said body, said first liner having a forwardly facingdepression therein, a nose portion secured to said shell body andextending forwardly thereof, said nose portion having a cavity therein,a second liner in said nose portion cavity and spaced from the walls ofsaid nose portion, said second liner having a rearwardly facingdepression therein, the depression of said second liner communicatingwith the depression of said first liner, a plastic explosive compositionin the space between said second liner and said nose portion, anexplosive composition in the space between said first liner and saidshell body, and base fuze means in said shell body positioned toinitiate detonation solely at the base of the explosive composition insaid shell body.

3. An explosive shell comprising a substantially cylindrical shell bodyhaving a substantially cylindrical coaxial cavity therein, said cavitybeing closed at the base end and open at the forward end, a hollowogival nose piece attached to the forward end of said shell body, saidnose piece having a rearwardly opening cavity communicating with theforwardly opening cavity of said shell body, the walls of said nosepiece being constructed of a ductile metal readily deformable on impact,a substantially cylindrical first liner supported in the cavity of saidnose piece and spaced from the walls of said nose piece, said firstliner being open at the rearward end and closed at the forward end, asecond conical liner supported in the open end of said first liner withits apex pointing rearwardly and substantially spaced from the walls ofsaid shell body, a plastic explosive composition in the space betweensaid nose piece and said first liner, an explosive composition in thespace between the walls of said shell body and said second liner, and abase fuze in said shell body cavity positioned to initiate detonationsolely at the base of the explosive composition in said shell body.

4. An explosive shell comprising an elongated enclosed hollow casinghaving a nose portion the walls of which are deformable upon impact ofthe shell against a target, enclosed hollow liner means supported withinsaid casing and spaced from the walls of said casing, the rearwardportion of said liner means having the form of a cone pointingrearwardly, explosive composition substantially filling the spacebetween said liner means and the walls of said casing, at least asubstantial part of the explosive composition in the nose portion ofsaid casing being plastic, and base fuze means for initiating detonationof said explosive composition.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,150,667 Dunwoody Aug. 17, 1915 FOREIGN PATENTS 572,661 Great BritainOct. 18, 1945 614,320 Great Britain Dec. 14, 1948

4. AN EXPLOSIVE SHELL COMPRISING AN ELONGATED ENCLOSED HOLLOW CASINGHAVING A NOSE PORTION THE WALLS OF WHICH ARE DEFORMABLE UPON IMPACT OFTHE SHELL AGAINST A TARGET, ENCLOSED HOLLOW LINER MEANS SUPPORTED WITHINSAID CASING AND SPACED FROM THE WALLS OF SAID CASING, THE REARWARDPORTION OF SAID LINER MEANS HAVING THE FORM OF A CONE POINTINGREARWARDLY, EXPLOSIVE COMPOSITION SUBSTANTIALLY FILLING THE SPACEBETWEEN SAID LINER MENS AND THE WALLS OF SAID CASING, AT LEAST ASUBSTANTIAL PART OF THE EXPLOSIVE COMPOSITION IN THE NOSE PORTION OFSAID CASING BEING PLASTIC, AND BASE FUZE MEANS FOR INITIATING DETONATIONOF SAID EXPLOSIVE COMPOSITION.